


I'll Be Your Shelter

by newdog14



Series: Felix Month 2019 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Felix Month 2019, Felix is bad at emotions, Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Nelix, Nino is nice, Stalker Bridgette (mentioned), possible abuse of prompt peramaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-25 08:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19741723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newdog14/pseuds/newdog14
Summary: “Tragic,” Nino deadpanned, not sounding at all sympathetic to Félix’s plight.“Please,” Félix said, trying to make the word sound less forced than it was. He hated more than anything to ask for help, but he didn’t really have a choice. “It’s the only way I can get her to leave me alone—”“Is it though?” Nino asked incredulously. “Because Bridgette is cool, and I feel like if you were just straight up with her about everything she’d leave you alone.”“I have been,” Félix ground out. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper in check. He was supposed to be asking for help, after all. “I’ve always made my lack of interest in Bridgette clear, I’ve never encouraged her advances, or reacted positively to them. I have rejected every confession she’s made. Even coming out to her, while something I hadn’t intended to do, is an honest reason for my lack of interest. But she still hasn’t given up so please, Nino, please pretend to be my boyfriend so she’ll finally leave me alone.”





	1. Prompt 9: Tragic

“Tragic,” Nino deadpanned, not sounding at all sympathetic to Félix’s plight.

“ _ Please _ ,” Félix said, trying to make the word sound less forced than it was. He hated more than anything to ask for help, but he didn’t really have a choice. “It’s the only way I can get her to leave me alone—”

“Is it though?” Nino asked incredulously. “Because Bridgette is cool, and I feel like if you were just straight up with her about everything she’d leave you alone.”

“I  _ have _ been,” Félix ground out. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper in check. He was supposed to be asking for help, after all. “I’ve always made my lack of interest in Bridgette clear, I’ve never encouraged her advances, or reacted positively to them. I have rejected every confession she’s made. Even coming out to her, while something I hadn’t intended to do, is an honest reason for my lack of interest. But she  _ still _ hasn’t given up so  _ please _ , Nino,  _ please _ pretend to be my boyfriend so she’ll finally leave me alone.”

Nino visibly hesitated, and Félix felt the slightest bit of hope bloom. “...so you weren’t just lying about being gay to get her off your back?”

“No, I wouldn’t lie about that. I hadn’t meant to tell her, or anyone really because I’m not sure what my parents would say, but it’s the truth,” Félix said, fighting the urge to curl in on himself. He wasn’t a child. “The only lie I told was that we were dating.”

“Why lie about that, anyway? Why not pick someone who you actually like? Or, if that’s too much, someone who would have said yes?” Nino asked, arms crossed and head tilted in challenge. 

“Because I panicked.”  _ Because she’d been trying to kiss me.  _ “At first I just said that I had a boyfriend, but she asked who it was and then you walked into the classroom so I said it was you. It was dumb and I shouldn’t have lied but if she finds out that I was lying about this then she’ll never believe a word I say again.”

Nino was quiet long enough for Félix to get nervous again. If Nino said no, he’d never get Bridgette to back off. He supposed he could always go back to being home schooled. It would probably make it more difficult to be Chat Noir, but surely he’d manage. He’d have to, somehow, since it he couldn’t exactly give up the stupid ring and let someone else do it.

Nino sighed. “What exactly would being your pretend boyfriend entail? I’m not making out with you in front of Bridgette.”

“You won’t have to do anything like that,” Félix said quickly. “I just need you to hang out with me and tell Bridgette that we’re dating.”

“ _ Really _ ? And you think that’s going to convince her?” Nino said. Félix hesitated, knowing that if Nino thought she wouldn’t believe it then she almost certainly wouldn’t.

“What would you recommend then?” Félix asked. “You know her better than I do.”

“I dunno man, actual couple stuff!” Nino said, frowning. “Dates and hand holding and kissing.”

Félix stiffened, though he did his best to hide just how uncomfortable the idea made him. “We’d only see her during school hours, surely we don’t need to do...all that.”

Nino scoffed. “Well I don’t know how you expect to convince her we’re dating if you hate me so much you won’t even touch me, Félix.”

“I  _ don’t  _ hate you,” Félix said. “I just don’t like being  _ touched _ .”

Nino paused, realization clear in his eyes. “And Bridgette touches you all the time.”

“I just want her to stop,” Félix said, slumping. “And I know you don’t have any reason to help me, but—”

“I’m helping you,” Nino said.

“—I can,” Félix broke off when Nino’s words registered. “Really?”

“Yeah, really,” Nino said, smiling a bit. “You definitely need it.”

Félix frowned, feeling a bit like he’d just been insulted, but too relieved to do anything about it. “Thank you, Nino.”

“Yeah, well, don’t thank me till it actually works,” Nino said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Bridgette’s got a certain set idea about what relationships look like, if she doesn’t think we’re meeting it…”

Félix sighed. “...I could deal with hand holding, if I was expecting it. And maybe more casual touching. I don’t know.”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Nino said, “Let me know any time I cross a line though, okay?”

Félix nodded. “Thank you.”

Nino shrugged, looking around the empty classroom instead of meeting Félix’s eyes. “You’re welcome.”

The ensuing silence was awkward, but Félix wasn’t sure how to break it, so he focused on not fidgeting instead, and waited for Nino to speak. “I’ll talk to Bridgette, say that we’ve been keeping things on the downlow cause of your folks.”

“Shouldn’t I go with you?” Félix asked. “As a united front, of something?”

“Do you  _ want  _ to?” Nino asked, as if he already knew the answer. “You don’t have to.”

“But I  _ should _ ,” Félix said. “She’ll wonder where I am if you go alone.”

“She might,” Nino allowed, “But you still don’t have to go with me.”

Félix hesitated. He  _ didn’t  _ want to confront Bridgette. He wanted to run away and hide behind Nino until she was no longer a problem. That would be childish though. Running away was hardly a solution, and he couldn’t expect Nino to take care of this for him, even if the other boy had agreed to help. He still wasn’t even sure  _ why  _ Nino had even agreed; Félix had thought for certain that he would have to resort to bribery before the other boy would say yes.

“I’ll talk to her, and I’ll meet you in the library after,” Nino said. Félix started to protest, but Nino was already moving towards the door. “Don’t worry about it, babe.”

Félix’s face felt like it was on  _ fire _ , and his words died in his throat. Thankfully Nino didn’t turn around to see Félix’s reaction to the pet name, otherwise the blond might never have been able to unfreeze himself long enough to actually  _ go _ to the library. He claimed and empty table in the corner and pretended to read as he waited for Nino, barely even registering the words as he turned the book’s pages.

He didn’t say anything when Nino came in and took a seat next to him, but when Nino set his hand on the table, Félix only hesitated for a minute before reaching out to take it. Nino winked, and Félix felt his stupid blush come back, so he ducked his head and pretended to read again while Nino messed with his phone with his free hand. 

They sat together in silence, and Félix had the wonderful, mildly terrifying thought that he could get used to this. 


	2. Prompt 11: First Kiss

For the first week of their charade, Félix was worried that pretending to date Nino wouldn’t actually help with the Bridgette situation. Nothing else had ever seemed to deter her from pursuing him, after all, so it was a reasonable concern. For her part, Bridgette was everywhere she usually was, and she tried to act like Nino didn’t exist at all. Nino didn’t let her too close when he was around, of course, but he couldn’t be with Félix  _ all  _ the time, and she’d still latch onto the blond every chance she got.

The second week she pulled back a bit. She stopped bothering trying to talk to Félix when he was with Nino, though she had spent several afternoons glaring at them from across the library. But whenever Nino couldn’t be around, Félix had to fend her off on his own. It was on Thursday afternoon, when Nino had had to go straight home to watch his little brother and Félix’s driver had been a bit late, that Félix had snapped and reminded her that he had a boyfriend, only to realize too late that they weren’t actually alone. Alya tried to hound him for more details, but then his driver finally arrived and Félix was able to flee. By the next morning, the whole school knew what he’d said. The bright side of this was that Bridgette backed off entirely.

The downside was that the news had leaked onto the internet and then his parents found out.

Félix had known that he’d have to talk with his parents about his sexuality eventually, but he hadn’t thought it would come up so soon. But while they were eating lunch on Friday afternoon Nino had managed to find three different Buzzfeed articles about the Agreste heir being outed, and the Agreste name was trending on Twitter, so Félix was sure his parents had heard the news, or would hear it soon enough.

“Are you gonna be alright?” Nino asked, watching Félix in concern. 

“I have no idea,” Félix said honestly. Nino squeezed his hand, and Félix flushed mostly because he hadn’t even realized that he’d been holding Nino’s hand to begin with. “I don’t have the slightest clue how they’re going to react.”

“Shit, that really sucks,” Nino said, rubbing his neck and ducking his head. “But like, I’m here for you, okay? And if you ever need to get away, or you need somewhere safe to go, my moms would totally be cool with you coming to us.  _ I’d _ be cool with it.”

“Thank you, Nino,” Félix said, smiling and squeezing Nino’s hand. “That means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” Nino said, shrugging slightly. “What are friends for, you know?”

_ Friends. Right. _ Félix had once thought he’d be happy if he ever made a real friend, but the word made him feel a bit hollow, oddly enough. It wasn’t that he doubted Nino’s friendship though, or that he didn’t like having the other boy in his life,  _ that _ thought made him feel sick, actually. Félix didn’t understand his emotions at  _ all _ , but he didn’t have time to dwell on them either, not when he had talking to his parents to look forward to.

They were surprisingly okay with it, when he was called into his father’s study for a family meeting after dinner that night. Or maybe it wasn’t surprising, it wasn’t as though Félix knew them well enough to have guessed one way or the other. His mother had already scheduled a formal interview though, saying that the news would boost the Agreste brand’s popularity with the younger generation. His father was indifferent so long as his studies were unaffected. Then he was dismissed, just like every other conversation with his parents ended. It was a bit anticlimactic, all things considered. 

The third week of fake dating Nino was the first week that Félix had been without Bridgette’s stalking since he’s met her. He didn’t think she’d quite given up, he knew she still stared at him in class, but she didn’t follow him around anymore, or hang off his arm at every opportunity. He still had to deal with his other classmates, since they’d all taken to asking every question imaginable about how the two had gotten together, but it wasn’t as awful as he might have expected. Nino was always there to field their inquiries, and he’d taken to keeping an arm around Félix’s shoulders whenever they sat together. It had surprised him a bit, the first time Nino had done it, but Félix didn’t hate the contact.

It was strange, how much Félix didn’t mind when Nino touched him. Physical contact had always made him uncomfortable, but it was different with Nino. Maybe it was because the other boy always asked, or because Félix knew Nino would stop immediately if asked, but that didn’t explain why he missed the weight of Nino’s arm when they were apart.

By the fourth week of their arrangement, things had started to die down. Félix and Nino were officially old news in the gossip cycle, Félix was the least charismatic Gay Icon the fashion world had ever seen, and it seemed that Félix’s sexuality had finally started to sink in for Bridgette. Things would have been perfect, except that Nino continuing to pose as Félix’s boyfriend was now growing increasingly unnecessary. 

They had never really discussed how long they would keep up their rouse, but now that it seemed to have worked Félix was starting to think it would need to end soon, and with no new problems left to distract himself with, he also had to confront the fact that he didn’t  _ want _ their arrangement to end. It was terrifying and stupid of him, but he’d started to really like hanging out with Nino.

Nino was funny, and kind, and the way he spoke about music made Félix reevaluate everything he’d ever thought about Nino before he’d really gotten to know him. Nino was good at keeping a conversation going, but he also didn’t have a problem with silence. Half the time they were together they didn’t say a word, instead just sitting together and enjoying each other’s company. Félix didn’t want it to end, but he also knew that Nino probably had better things to do than play pretend boyfriend for him.

Still, when Nino brought up how long it had been at the beginning of week five, Félix felt his stomach fill with dread.

“So, it’s been almost a month since everyone found out about us,” Nino said, rubbing circles with his thumb on the back of Félix’s hand. Félix tried to focus on not visibly panicking, carefully setting his book down to give Nino his full attention. “And like, this is probably a kind of awkward thing to ask? But my moms and I have this agreement, that if I’m ever dating someone for a month, I have to have them over for dinner.”

That wasn’t what Félix had expected him to say at all. Was Nino trying to invite him to dinner? Or was he trying to subtly tell Félix that they needed to break up and avoid having Félix meet his family? “Okay.”

“Okay you’ll do it?” Nino asked, and Félix had to wonder if he was misreading the hope in his voice.

“I’ll go if you want me too,” Félix answered. “You’ve really helped me this past month, so whatever I can do to repay the favor.”

Nino ducked his head to stare at the table, and Félix couldn’t see his face past the brim of his hat. “Repaying the favor. Is that all it’d be?”

“What do you mean?” Félix asked. He thought he might know, but he didn’t want to assume. Didn’t want to hope.

“I...Nevermind. I’m being stupid,” Nino said, letting go of Félix’s hand and fiddling with his headphones. He seemed disappointed though, and Félix decided that no fear of rejection was worth seeing Nino look so dejected. Félix grabbed hold of Nino’s hand, and leaned closer so he could peak under the brim of Nino’s hat.

“Nino, I’m not very good at reading people,” he said, trying to keep his voice even as he forced the words out. “I don’t like making guesses because I’m afraid to be wrong. So please, if you want it to mean more, tell me?”

Nino looked at him, his brown eyes filled with emotions that Félix couldn’t read, but he could see the determination that settled in the other boy’s gaze. “Félix, I want you to meet my moms, and I want to introduce you as my boyfriend, and I want it to be the truth.”

Félix’s heart soared, and he could feel his stupid blush acting up again. “I’d like that.”

“Really?” Nino said, looking as happy as Félix felt.

“Yeah,” he said, squeezing Nino’s hand and smiling. “I’d like it a lot.”

“Félix, can I ask for one more thing?” Nino said, seeming hesitant again. 

Félix nodded. “Of course.” 

“Can I kiss you?” Félix couldn’t imagine what his face must have looked like in that moment, but Nino was clearly flustered by it. “Sorry, you can say no, I know you don’t really like—”

“Nino,” Félix cut him off, bringing his freehand up to cup Nino’s face. “I would like to kiss you.”

Nino’s blush was much prettier than Félix thought his own was. Nino brought his free hand up to Félix’s face, his touch soft and hesitant until Félix leaned into the touch. Nino pulled him in carefully, slowly, and his kiss was gentle and innocent and it made Félix feel like there were butterflies in his stomach. They were both blushing when Nino pulled back, and Félix was smiling more widely than he ever had before.

“Was that okay?” Nino asked, the same way he did every time he and Félix tried something new.

“It was perfect,” Félix said, “And I definitely wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

Nino squeezed Félix’s hand as he pulled back, “So, would you be free for dinner at 6 this Friday?”

“I think I can clear my schedule,” Félix said. “And I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” Nino said, his thumb tracing circles on Félix’s hand once more.

They lapsed into a companionable silence, and Félix returned his attention to his book. Or, he tried to. He was a little too focused on thoughts of having a boyfriend, of having  _ Nino _ as his boyfriend, for any actual reading to get done. To an outsider, nothing about the boys had changed, but for Félix, it was the beginning of something new and wonderful and maybe still a little bit terrifying. 


End file.
